Monthly Archives: April 2017

BIG NEWS AND SUNSHINE

We have BIG news from April, but at the same time there’s not much to tell. Thank you half term for saving us all from college work and giving us a sunny 2 weeks off. I hope you all enjoyed yourself and made lots of memories!

It was Earth Week this month so we made a cute gratitude garden for students to get involved in. Check out the photographs on our Facebook and Instagram #bathcollsu

So now to our big news! As you are all aware we have been recruiting a new Students’ Union team. The candidates that signed up have been campaigning for your votes over a two weeks period! Well results are in and we have our new team! Thank you for those who took the time to vote.

Congratulations to the following students and our very own Student’s Union officers who will be your..

STUDENTS’ UNION 2017/18

Tesh Baber – President

James Stewart – Vice President

Ephraim Sampson – Events Officer

Jonathan Waldeck – Media and Promotions Officer

Paige Baker – Sports and Societies Officer

Perry Evry – Equality and Diversity Officer

Oliver Watkins – Higher Education Officer

I have confidence in saying these guys will do you proud. They will stand up for the needs of Bath college students, campaign for change and set up some crazy events! Good luck to you all.

Linda Sorenson, Lora Stevens and Sarah Hampton will compete at the show after impressing judges during the South West regional heat.

Last year, a team of florists from Bath College won RHS Chelsea Floristry College of the Year and 17-year-old Emily Smith achieved a bronze medal in the Young Florist of the Year competition.

Lora and Sarah are among 16 florists from across the UK chosen for the final of the Young Florist of the Year competition.

Linda is one of two college students selected to compete for the title of Chelsea Florist of the Year, with most of the places for the final going to professional florists.

She said: “It was quite a surprise to get through. I entered the heat because it was an opportunity to make something very different from the type of thing you make in everyday floristry.

“I just wanted to have the experience of giving it a go. My design was quite simple, but the colours were very beautiful and I think that helped me get a good score.”

Florists entering the regional heats were asked to create designs inspired by a wedding for the curator of the Tate Modern in London.

They will be in the spotlight as thousands head to the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, from May 22nd to May 27th.

Linda, who volunteers at Roots Floral Designs in Bristol, enrolled on a floristry course at Bath College after working as a nurse for 30 years.

She said: “I felt it was time to try something new. One of my patients told me that she had done the Level 3 course at Bath College, and that got me thinking.

“I did a 10-week floristry course as a taster and became hooked. It is so exciting to have found another direction to take in life.

“Competing at Chelsea is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I’m hoping that I can make something beautiful and unique.

“The Level 2 and Level 3 floristry students exhibited at Chelsea Flower Show last year. It was a huge group project that many of us worked on.

“It’s far more daunting to be entering as an individual, but we are lucky that our tutor Jo Matthews is very experienced at teaching creative floristry.”

Sarah, who works at The Blossom Tree, Flowers and Gifts, in Market Lavington, said: “I was nervous competing in the regional heat, but I found it was a great experience overall and it was great to see everyone’s creations.

“Last year we entered as a college group and achieved the best college award. I’m looking forward to returning as I loved entering last year.

“I’m sure it will feel very different as an individual competitor, but I can’t wait to experience it with Linda and Lora.”

Bath College’s Student Participation Team has won an award recognising its work to promote health and wellbeing on campus.

Whether it’s a fruit kebab stall or a giant post-it wall, the team works hard to come up with creative ways to engage students. In recognition of this, they were invited to receive a Director of Public Health Award from Bath and North East Somerset Council.

The team submitted evidence from Bath College’s health and motivation month in January to qualify for the award.

Activities included a giant game of smoking hoopla to promote the college’s anti-smoking campaign. Anti-smoking kits were given out, including tangle toys, breath mints and information on quitting smoking.

Members of the Student Participation Team made postcards with motivational quotes to hand out at lunchtime, and started January with a float your hopes event. Students were given helium balloons and invited to write their hopes for the future on them.

Equality and Diversity Officer Katie Dunn was also keen to promote the importance of having a positive body image during mental health week. To do this, she covered a sofa with white fabric and asked students to write down their favourite things about themselves.

Student Participation Manager Rob Heyes said: “Judges liked the fact that a lot of the things we’re doing are very different. We’re constantly working to come up with creative ways to engage with students around the topic of health and wellbeing.”

An old mural showing what mining life was like in the early 19th century has been given a new home at Radstock Museum.

The mural, made up of four large wooden panels, was being kept in storage at Bath College, who have donated it to the museum.

It shows Lower Writhlington Colliery, on the outskirts of Radstock, which was closed along with Kilmersdon Colliery in September 1973.

Mike Drewitt, from the Estates and Facilities team at Bath College, was keen to find a home for the mural, which used to be on display at Norton Radstock College before it became Bath College.

When Norton Radstock College merged with the City of Bath College in April 2015, it was renamed as Bath College’s Somer Valley Campus.

Mr Drewitt said: “It was too nice to throw away and now it’s gone to a good home. It couldn’t be more fitting for the museum to have it.

“The old Norton Radstock College started as an educational facility for miners and there used to be a printing workshop onsite.

“I don’t know if it was created at the college, but it would be interesting to know and to find out why that person chose to recreate this particular scene.”

Norton Radstock College evolved from the Old Mills Technical Institution, formed in 1948 to cater for the needs of the local mining community.

In 1964, the Institute moved to South Hill Park. Now Bath College’s Somer Valley Campus, South Hill Park was the former residence of James McMurtrie, manager of the Ludlow, Camerton and Middle Pit Collieries.

The mural, captioned Lower Writhlington Colliery, 1830, is a reproduction of an old photograph by Leonard Meux Delt.

Miranda Litchfield, Development Programme Coordinator at Radstock Museum, said the museum holds a copy of the original photograph.

She said: “The mural is just stunning; we can do so much with it. It’s so big you can image yourself in the scene and it’s a very informative illustration. We can see that in 1830 they were still using horses and steam power. It’s a new highlight of the museum I would say.”

Do you know anything about this mural? E-mail development@radstockmuseum.co.uk

For two years Kez Hawkins has been the face of the Bath College Students’ Union. This June, she will stand down from her post as president and hand over to a successor from the May student union elections.

The role has allowed her to grow in confidence, she said: “I am here to represent all students, and where change is needed or sought, I promote it to the college management.” She gets different ideas from students through Student Voice, and when these are practicable, they can make improvements to the everyday life of the college.

Kez confessed when she first took on the role it was scary, “I did not know the scope of the post,” she said. But she soon found her feet, and enjoyed it so much that she stayed for the permitted second year. “You make the job,” she said, having been persuaded to stand by her predecessor. “Having no plans at the end of my photography course, I used it as a gap year.”

“You are a governor of the college; you sit on the interview panels for senior staff. I didn’t understand the language that is used in the day-to-day management of the college, especially the financial aspects, so it was a steep learning curve.”

Kez said she sometimes finds it difficult to get students to voice their ideas when they are focused on coursework, but used novel methods to get these ideas known.

“My last one was to post ideas written on cards shaped like light bulbs, and then hung on a washing line,” she said, adding that the Students’ Union chalkboard is open for students to nominate themselves or colleagues for posts on the student union committee.

There are eight students who give time each week to support the president, which is a full-time paid post, four days a week.

Passionate about her time at Bath College, Kez praises the tutor from her photography course, who encouraged her. “I wasn’t a good pupil at school” she admits, “when I came to the college I had to re-sit my GCSE English, I didn’t want to go to university. I saw photography as a hobby, not a job, but I grew to love it.”

Now with the experience of her course and two years as President, she has a great CV which has led her to youth work. She explains: “Twice a week I am helping as an assistant youth worker in Bath, at the Riverside Youth Hub, and I love it.”

Now passionate about further education and young people, she hopes to do more work with young people. When she leaves Bath College in the summer, her first commitment will be a four-week summer camp with the National Citizen Service here in Bath. The first week will be a residential away from the area in the Isle of Wight. Kez will be balancing this work alongside work generated by the photography company she has launched.

Once elected, new team members, including the president will shadow current student union officers as they learn the role. The college is keen for more students to show an interest in these posts, which help with the running of the college and providing support to students.

Alex Bradley, David Forster and Jacky Cheung are leading the project and studying for a BSc in applied computing at Bath College. They are working with senior dietitian Anna Carling to digitise paper tests and adapt these for a functional, working app.

Children will be able to learn how much carbohydrate their food contains, and how much insulin they need to take as a result.

Alex, David and Jacky are all in the final year of their course. After studying at Bath College for three years, they will be awarded with an honours degree from the University of Bath.

Jacky, 22, said: “We’ve built up our skills by applying ourselves to different programming and development techniques through the years.

“The app starts off with a menu and, depending on the age of the child, they can pick from different tests. For example, year one pupils will be shown a piece of food and asked if it has carbohydrate, but year six pupils need to work out how much carbohydrate is in the food.

“The idea is to help them learn how to manage their diabetes from an early age by using something that is fun and interactive.”

The app, which has been in development since January, is currently being tested with young children at local diabetes clinics. After receiving feedback, the group will make final changes and present their findings as part of a college assessment.

David, 23, said: “I feel like I’m learning more by working for a client. We’ve been given objectives, which we need to meet, and we’re challenging ourselves as a result.

“It’s been good to work as a team, rather than working alone on a job. In the workplace we’ll be working in teams, so those communication skills will benefit us in the future.”

Alex, 22, said: “The best thing is the independence, the fact that we’re able to go out and meet the client and get information from them.

“We’re working directly with them and organising ourselves, so it’s more like real working life. I’ve really enjoyed it, so I wouldn’t mind working in project management in the future.”

Course leader Paul Jackson said: “The team have created an amazing app for the Royal United Hospitals Bath.

“We really pride ourselves on projects like these. Our applied computing degree courses have a great track record of creating solutions for local industries and organisations.

“The students get a lot out of these projects, and actually working with outside clients means our graduates are ready for the modern workplace, with an enviable set of practical skills in a wide variety of software and hardware platforms.”

You’ve spent months studying for your exam and now it’s the day before. Now is the time to show what you’ve learned, so keep focused and read our tips to help you do your best. Good luck to everyone sitting exams this year – we hope it goes well.

1. Check the venue and time of the exam the day before to make sure that you have not confused the day/time/venue.

2. Get a good night’s sleep. Feeling refreshed and awake will help you more than a last minute, all night revision cramming session

3. Have a balanced breakfast and eat nothing risky (probably not the best day to have a super-hot curry!)

4. Before leaving home, check that you have everything that you will need – ID, stationery, calculator, etc.

5. Head to the exam with plenty of time. A lot of unexpected events can happen on your way there and you do not want to be late!

6. Read all the instructions and questions carefully at least twice before starting and plan how much time to allocate to each.

7. Start answering the questions that you feel most confident about. There is no need to answer the questions in order.

8. Don’t spend more time than you planned on a particular section/question or you might run out of time to answer other questions and gain those extra marks

9. Use every minute of the exam and if you have time left, review your answers before handing back the paper.

10. Stay calm and think positive, you have done your revision and have nothing to fear!

11. Reward yourself. If you have more exams to complete, spend some time relaxing before you hit the revision books again.

Carpentry students from Bath College have built a new display at Radstock Museum to help tell the story of mining engineer James McMurtrie.

James McMurtrie has a historic connection with Bath College, as he lived at South Hill House, built on the grounds of the college’s Somer Valley Campus.

Students William Minty, Tyler Bryant, Daniel White and Samuel Watts have been volunteering at the museum to help staff create the new display, called James McMurtrie’s parlour.

Painting and decorating students will put the finishing touches to the parlour walls, and level 1 carpentry and joinery students have built five plinths for the museum to use for displays.

Who was James McMurtrie?

Born in Ayrshire in 1840, James McMurtrie moved to Somerset to become the manager at Newbury Colliery in Coleford. He made many improvements and, as a result, was hired by Countess Waldegrave as Under Manager at Middle Pit in Radstock.

Countess Waldegrave inherited estates in Somerset, Essex and London after the death of her second husband (the 7th Earl Waldegrave) in 1846, and owned all the mines in Radstock at this time.

She paid for South Hill House as a thank you for James McMurtrie’s hard work. This was demolished in the 1950s and Radstock Technical College was built, which merged with Bath College in April 2015.

Carpentry lecturer Adrian Drake said: “It was good for the students to participate in a volunteering project that helps to develop their employability skills.

“It was quite a technical job, because the museum has a sloping roof. They also had to negotiate with the museum, to let them know when they were coming and how noisy the work would be.”

The government is changing the way apprenticeships are funded and delivered, and employers are facing new costs now that the apprenticeship levy has come into force. If you’re taking on a new apprentice, you’ll need to follow the government’s funding and performance management rules. To help you stay up to date, we’ve put together a quick guide with some important tips.

1. You need a specific contract of employment
This contract should be different to a standard contract and mention the type of apprenticeship offered, including start and end dates.

2. Apprentices must be employed until they finish their course
Apprenticeship contracts have a time limit, but sometimes apprentices are unable to complete their studies within this time. Employers should continue to support their apprentice until they complete their training.

3. Apprenticeships need a job role to move into
Apprentices are a valuable asset for companies for many years to come. However, if you’re not able to provide a permanent job role, you should help your apprentice with their search for alternative employment.

4. Allow 20 per cent of working time for training
Apprentices need 20 per cent of their working time away from their desk to learn and train on the job. This can include attending college, attending in-work training and study time.

5. Give an opportunity for English and maths qualifications
Apprentices should have the opportunity to study for GCSE maths and English qualifications if they haven’t achieved a C grade.

6. Employers choose the end point assessment
You have the final say on the assessments your apprentice needs to pass in order to achieve their qualification. This can be developed in connection with your chosen training provider.

7. You can train existing employees as apprentices
If you currently run training programmes for your staff, you could convert these into apprenticeship programmes in order to use part of your apprenticeship levy.

8. Employers need to sign a contract with their training provider
You can choose your training provider, but you’ll need to sign a contract with them. For apprentices aged 15 to 17, you’ll also need a signature from their parent or guardian.

Bath College is a registered training provider and our apprenticeship team is available to offer expert advice.

At Bath College, we work with businesses to help them develop apprenticeship programmes in line with their training needs. Our priority is to help your company grow and make sure you maximise the return on your investment.

To find out more about how our team could help your business visit www.bathcollege.ac.uk or e-mail apprenticeships@bathcollege.ac.uk

The chance to learn photography has led to new friendships for students taking part in the Snap and Stroll project in Radstock.

Participants have spent eight weeks exploring the town, taking photographs and meeting people who share the same interests. Their work will go on show at the Swallow Community Café, at St Nicholas Church Centre, Church Street, on Tuesday April 11.

Picture by Peter

Led by Sally Collister, from In the Picture Participatory Photography, the course is organised by the Adult Community Learning team at Bath College.

The project follows on from a successful pilot project in Bath last year and another exhibition on show at the Civic Centre, Keynsham, until April 8.

It is a collaboration between Bath College, Creativity Works and the Wellbeing College, and includes those who are experiencing or in recovery from anxiety, depression and mental health challenges.

Picture by Irene

Kathleen Maitland, from Radstock, has been taking part in the project. She said: “I enjoyed the course from day one. Sally has been amazing, she’s very patient and has gone into as much depth allowed within the time.

“When I’m out walking I view things so differently. It’s made me more aware of my surroundings. We get along well as a group, there’s a lot of laughter and encouragement – it’s important to encourage each other.

“I’m going through a difficult period in life, and this course has helped me to meet people so I don’t feel isolated. When you’re taking photographs, you get out and about and you see life going on.”

Katie Constantine, from Bath College, is helping curate the exhibition, which will feature some well-known scenes, as well as fresh perspectives on everyday places.

Picture by Kazvan

Sally, who set up In the Picture Participatory Photography in 2015, said: “I have been delighted and very impressed by how far the participants have come with their photography. We’ve put together a cracking exhibition. I’ve had so much fun facilitating these sessions and will miss my weekly visits to Radstock.”

The exhibition opens with a reception on Tuesday April 11th from 4.30pm to 5.30pm. It will be open at the Swallow Community Café until April 28th (between 11am to 3pm).

Students studying media makeup, beauty, spa therapy, hairdressing and barbering took part in a day of internal college competitions. They created some brilliant designs and worked very hard – well done to everyone involved. See below for the full list of winners.

Bethany won a spa day for two donated by Center Parcs. Thank you to judges Kayde English (Spa manager at Center Parcs) and Emily Desborough (Emily is a former Bath College student working at Center Parcs).

Winners for spa therapy

Well done to the winners: Jade Glover, Carly Harris and Dorota Popowska (who also won the overall achievement award and a trophy donated by the Bath Thermae Spa). Thank you to the Bath Thermae Spa, the Royal Crescent, Lush, and Lucknam Park for helping with the judging and/or donating prizes.

Executive chef Soyful Alom gave students at Bath College a lesson in Indian cuisine at the latest Chefs’ Forum event.

The Mint Room in Bath has become a popular foodie destination, offering a culinary tour of India without the need for a visa. Soyful has developed his menu with Michelin-starred chef Hrishkesh Desai and was keen to speak to the students about his food.

Students helped Soyful prepare and serve colourful Indian canapés for 70 industry professionals at lunchtime.

He said: “I didn’t realise that the students would be so fascinated by Indian cuisine. I was very impressed with their existing knowledge of flavours and spice combinations, their enthusiasm and willingness to learn was really pleasing.”

Bridget Halford, Head of Hospitality at Bath College, said: “It has been really inspiration for our students to work with a group of professional Asian chefs, for many it is their first attempt at cooking authentic, fine dining Indian cuisine and experimenting with such intense and rich flavour.”

Students from Gloucestershire College also attended the event and were part of a samosa making competition, won by 17-year-old Bath College student Kyle Lucas.

He said: “I am really excited to have won a day in the kitchen with Soyful. Having worked as a waiter in a local Indian restaurant, I am no stranger to Indian cuisine.

“However, today’s event has inspired me to experiment further in the kitchen actually cooking Indian food. I am really chuffed to have won the competition today.”

Another highlight of the day was a wine and pairing session, led by Bristol-based Averys wine merchants. Jack Cook, from Walter Rose, butchered a whole lamb – demonstrating how to make use of the whole carcass.

Soyful chose to make Tawa Duck, a roast duck dish with a korma base and Indian spices, for his cookery demonstration. He will be working with students at Bath College’s Shrubbery Restaurant to serve canapés and a two-course meal on April 25th at 12pm.

Tickets are available for the meal, which is open to the public. To book call (01225) 328502 or e-mail shrubberyrestaurant@bathcollege.ac.uk

The Chefs’ Forum holds quarterly events in the Bath and Cotswolds area, and 36 chef events per year nationally. Contact catherine@redcherry.uk.com

Refrigeration apprentice Matt Rose was 18 when he started studying Level 2 refrigeration at Bath College. After working for five years (and training a few apprentices of his own) he returned to college to study for a Level 3 apprenticeship.

At TH White, we do everything from security to construction, but I work in the dairy department. I’m fixing, installing, decommissioning and repairing milking equipment.

I like a challenge. You get a phone call saying ‘I have a break-down,’ but often there’s not a lot of information before you go out on the job. You need to think ‘what do I need to take on this job?’ I’m not stuck in an office, it’s nice to see the countryside – you end up having your lunch break in a different place every day.

How did you start out in the refrigeration industry?

I wanted to do a trade and find a decent job and I thought ‘why not try the foundation course?’ That was at Bath College, and after that I got a Level 2 apprenticeship for myself with TH White.

Even coming back to college now, I’m learning a lot. The Level 3 course is an in-depth course focusing on specific subjects which are relevant to you. It’s valuable coming into the college, at the end of this I will have a Level 3 diploma in air conditioning and refrigeration. It will give me a better foothold and more leverage when it comes to the chance for a promotion and a pay rise.

How do you feel you’ve improved since starting out as an apprentice in the early days of your career?

I’ve had four apprentices since I finished the level 2 course. It was daunting teaching the apprentices to start with but I learned a lot from teaching them. When they ask questions, it makes you think. You don’t realise how much you’ve learned until you have to answer their questions.

What’s the best thing about being in the air conditioning and refrigeration industry?

Air conditioning and refrigeration is everywhere, so there’s a demand for jobs. You can go to any place that has air conditioning and refrigeration and ask them who does their service and maintenance, and then you can ask that company for a job. It’s about using your initiative.

What advice do you have for someone starting out in the trade?

I would say the best thing you can do is find yourself a decent apprenticeship and get yourself enrolled on a course. With the foundation course, you don’t have to have an apprenticeship but you have to get on the course and to be able to pay for it.

What I say to my apprentices is that ‘yes the wage is lower but you don’t have the knowledge yet’. I would highly recommend an apprenticeship. It’s been a good route for me – If I wasn’t doing this I don’t know what I would be doing, but now I have a trade for life.

The group started work on the event in January, organising the costumes, running order, music, refreshments, invites and programme.

Xavier Theobald, 19, designed the artwork for a series of slides showing during the fashion show, helping to bring the event to life.

LILS students visited Julian House’s charity shop on Walcot Street and borrowed clothes for the show. They also found inspiration for their designs at the Bath Fashion Museum.

They went to the Wiltshire Scrapstore to collect materials and created clothes for a series of mannequins inspired by fashion throughout the ages, including medieval knights, goths, hippies, and Princess Diana’s wedding dress.

All the food for the evening was home-made and students were on-hand to welcome guests and announce the running order.

Students studying hair and beauty helped to get participants ready for the catwalk and stayed to enjoy the show along with parents and friends. The event raised over £60 for Julian House’s work tackling homelessness.

Student Georgia Long said: “It feels really lovely to be dressed up. I’m looking forward to doing the catwalk and my mum and dad are coming to watch.”

Lecturer Suzann Taylor said: “The purpose of our course is for students to develop their independent living and employability skills. Each student has their own personal targets.

“The fashion show gave them the opportunity to work on a variety of important skills, such as budgeting, managing money, written and verbal communication, personal presentation and food hygiene.

“It was also great to see students have the opportunity to work towards their strengths and build their confidence in a variety of different skills.”